Pros

  • Great urban resort location on main beach, in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone
  • Dozens of great restaurants, clubs, galleries, and bars within walking distance
  • Views of beach from most rooms
  • Lively bar and restaurant on the beachfront promenade
  • Authentic, made on-site hand-carved wooden furnishings in the lobby and guest rooms
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Cons

  • Spotty Wi-Fi service (in public areas only)
  • Super busy street scene behind the hotel
  • Busy beach and bar scene behind and in front of the hotel
  • Smallish, worn guest rooms
  • No fitness center
  • Not all rooms have flat screen TVs
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Bottom Line

Los Arcos benefits from a prime location: It's planted on Puerto Vallarta's main beach, Playa del Sol, and is right smack in the middle of the Romantic Zone. The mid-range boutique style looks like a throwback to another time and emits a true Mexican personality. But many rooms in this mid-range hotel are worn, and on the small side. It's a relatively small property, and perhaps a little short on amenities, but for those who want an authentic Mexican urban resort experience, this is great choice.

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Jacuzzi
  • Pool
  • Spa

Oyster Hotel Review

Playa Los Arcos Hotel Beach Resort & Spa

Scene

Great Mexican hospitality in a charming setting

This unique little hotel has the flavor of a 19th century Spanish hacienda. Wrought iron finishes and arches abound, with stone sculptures at every corner (including at the pool). This is old-school Vallarta, built before the hotel scene hiked north, and it remains as charming now as it was in the good old days. As charming as that sounds (and is), don't mistake charming for quiet. There is a lively scene here, with late-night entertainment and partying going on all around.

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Location

Right in the heart of Old Town, on a lively (and busy) stretch of beach

The hotel fronts a nice stretch of sand on the area's main beach, with a beachfront boardwalk and many bars and restaurants all in a row. It's also the beach area with Mexico’s most concentrated gay scene. People come to Old Town not to get away from it all but to get into it all -- a lively beach scene, a lively art scene, restaurants, clubs, galleries, bars.

  • 20-minute drive to airport
  • 10-minute walk to downtown
  • 15-minute drive to golf courses
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Rooms

Basic rooms are lacking modern amentities -- and those with street views are noisy.

The five-story U-shaped hotel houses 169 guest rooms of three varieties: Standard, Superior (Ocean View or Ocean Front), Junior Suite, and Master Suite. New furniture was installed a couple of years ago, with local artisans from Guanajuato and Michoacan brought in to create the pieces. But the rooms still look a bit worn overall. The decor is pretty basic -- white and cream with hints of dark wood. Not much in the way of furniture, just a bed (or two), a desk with TV on top, and that's about it. Every room does have a private balcony though. Conversion to flat screen TVs is ongoing, but Wi-Fi is now accessible in rooms (as well as in the public areas). tag:revisit 12/1/2013

  • Average size rooms, though some look a little worn
  • Some rooms still have tube TVs
  • No Wi-Fi access yet
  • All have private balconies
  • Suites have kitchenettes and living rooms
See More Rooms

Features

The pools are large and lively -- but this hotel is lacking in other amenities.

  • Two large swimming pools, and a kids' pool
  • Ocean-view Jacuzzi
  • Volleyball court
  • Excellent Austrian gourmet restaurant and sidewalk espresso bar
  • Sub-par spa offering limited services
  • No fitness center
  • View full list of amenities
See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Playa Los Arcos Hotel Beach Resort & Spa

Scene

Great Mexican hospitality in a charming setting

This unique little hotel has the flavor of a 19th century Spanish hacienda. Wrought iron finishes and arches abound, with stone sculptures at every corner (including at the pool). This is old-school Vallarta, built before the hotel scene hiked north, and it remains as charming now as it was in the good old days. As charming as that sounds (and is), don't mistake charming for quiet. There is a lively scene here, with late-night entertainment and partying going on all around.

See More Scene

Location

Right in the heart of Old Town, on a lively (and busy) stretch of beach

The hotel fronts a nice stretch of sand on the area's main beach, with a beachfront boardwalk and many bars and restaurants all in a row. It's also the beach area with Mexico’s most concentrated gay scene. People come to Old Town not to get away from it all but to get into it all -- a lively beach scene, a lively art scene, restaurants, clubs, galleries, bars.

  • 20-minute drive to airport
  • 10-minute walk to downtown
  • 15-minute drive to golf courses
See More Location

Rooms

Basic rooms are lacking modern amentities -- and those with street views are noisy.

The five-story U-shaped hotel houses 169 guest rooms of three varieties: Standard, Superior (Ocean View or Ocean Front), Junior Suite, and Master Suite. New furniture was installed a couple of years ago, with local artisans from Guanajuato and Michoacan brought in to create the pieces. But the rooms still look a bit worn overall. The decor is pretty basic -- white and cream with hints of dark wood. Not much in the way of furniture, just a bed (or two), a desk with TV on top, and that's about it. Every room does have a private balcony though. Conversion to flat screen TVs is ongoing, but Wi-Fi is now accessible in rooms (as well as in the public areas). tag:revisit 12/1/2013

  • Average size rooms, though some look a little worn
  • Some rooms still have tube TVs
  • No Wi-Fi access yet
  • All have private balconies
  • Suites have kitchenettes and living rooms
See More Rooms

Features

The pools are large and lively -- but this hotel is lacking in other amenities.

  • Two large swimming pools, and a kids' pool
  • Ocean-view Jacuzzi
  • Volleyball court
  • Excellent Austrian gourmet restaurant and sidewalk espresso bar
  • Sub-par spa offering limited services
  • No fitness center
  • View full list of amenities
See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Babysitting Services

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Basic Television

  • Beach

  • Business Center

  • Cable

  • Children's Pool

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Fitness Center

  • Full Kitchen

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Pool

  • Rental Car Service Desk Onsite

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Smoking Rooms Available

  • Spa

  • Supervised Kids Activities

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.